Current Research Projects

Adaptation and Resilience in Habitat Planning: Coupled Human and Natural Systems Models of Oak Management in a Changing Climate


​Oak forests provide important habitat for many of the highest priority wildlife species in southern Michigan. Maintenance and expansion of oak forests is a goal in many of the Michigan DNR’s State Game Area Master Plans. Despite their emphasis in wildlife management plans, oaks are neither stable nor increasing, except on very dry sites. Oaks on mesic sites in Michigan are shifting over time from fire-maintained oak systems to fire-suppressed maple systems. The research design for this study involves modeling oak forest sustainability at the landscape scale under realistic management and climate regimes. 
Ph.D. Candidate: Chris Hoving (co-advised by Dr. Gary Roloff). Funding provided by Michigan DNR. 

Assessing Drivers of Spread and Transmission of Chronic Wasting Disease in Michigan Deer

Existing models from our CWD studies in New York and new models we are developing offer opportunities to manage emerging CWD with greater understanding of the relationship between risk of spread and relative management costs. These models are informed by data on movements, space use, and resource selection. We are equipping >125 deer in the Greater Lansing area with GPS satellite collars to characterize deer movement ecology in Michigan’s emergent CWD management zones across a gradient from urban to rural. This gradient is important because of differences in deer density and movement behavior in urban versus rural environments, and the associated management challenges they pose. This research is part of a larger study aimed at developing surveillance and management tools for emergent CWD.
Ph.D. Candidate: Jonathan Trudeau. Funding provided by Michigan DNR. 

Evaluating the Interaction of Emerging Diseases on White-tailed Deer Populations

​Deer management in Michigan faces serious threats from three significant diseases: chronic wasting disease (CWD), epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), and bovine tuberculosis (bTB). Recent outbreaks of EHD and CWD in similar areas of southern Michigan demonstrate that we may soon face a situation where we need to understand the interaction of these diseases. We are working to couple disease prevalence information with spatial and temporal drivers of EHD and CWD to understand the role of two emerging and potentially interacting diseases on deer populations in Michigan. Further, we seek to better understand why these diseases have increased in frequency and distribution in Michigan. Ultimately, we hope to provide spatially-explicit models that anticipate future scenarios for deer management and disease risk.
Ongoing collaboration with Dr. Sonja Christensen. Funding provided ​by the Hal and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation. 

​Group Size, Bioaccumulation, and Baiting: Quantifying Factors Affecting Disease Transmission Among Deer

A critical need for CWD management is to identify what factors influence aggregations of deer in agricultural regions and to quantify how those aggregations influence direct contacts (i.e., physical contact behavior) and bioaccumulation of feces at scales relevant for newly developed agent-based models for CWD. Understanding factors that influence congregations in agricultural regions and how deer interact under these circumstances would assist in epidemiological modeling for population management and control actions. The goal of this study is to evaluate factors influencing transmission of CWD among deer from an agricultural region of southern Michigan during the post-breeding period.
M.S. Student: Samantha Courtney (co-advised by Dr. Dwayne Etter). Funding provided by the MSU/MDNR Joint Wildlife Disease Initiative. 

Influence of Deer Harvest Regulations on Antlerless Harvest, Abundance, and Sex and Age Composition: Implications for Managing Deer in the Face of Chronic Wasting Disease

Managing potential spread and localized prevalence of chronic wasting disease has proven challenging for wildlife managers nationwide. Whereas some studies have shown that localized intensive harvest of deer has been successful at maintaining low prevalence of CWD, other research has established that different sex and age classes of free-ranging deer have different prevalence rates of disease. Consequently, harvest strategies to reduce deer abundance may be more effective if specific demographic segments of the deer population are targeted as well. The goal of this study is to evaluate potential change in antlerless deer harvest, deer abundance, and deer sex/age population composition following the introduction of mandatory antler point restrictions within in Michigan's 5-County Core CWD Area.
Funding provided by the Michigan DNR. 

Management Solutions for Chronic Wasting Disease

Preserving the health of white-tailed deer populations is a top priority for state and federal resource agencies because of their role in maintaining healthy ecosystems, preserving our hunting heritage, and providing a stable source of wildlife funding. This project aims to develop scientifically-based surveillance and monitoring techniques through risk-based assessments of human and wildlife factors associated with CWD outbreaks. Using data from CWD-endemic areas provides valuable insight into how CWD spreads on the landscape and why the disease can show sporadic distribution. The ultimate goal of the project is to identify and remove diseased animals quickly before CWD becomes well-established.
Current Ph.D. Candidate Noelle Thompson and former student Jon Cook (Ph.D., 2020). Funding provided by the Michigan DNR, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU, MSU AgBioResearch, MSU Extension, the Glassen Foundation, and the Boone and Crockett Endowment at MSU. 

Monitoring Brown Bear Abundance in Katmai National Park, Alaska

Southwest Alaska’s Bristol Bay is home to a large brown bear population. This area also boasts one of the world's largest naturally occurring salmon runs. Katmai National Park‘s mission is to preserve brown bear habitat and the salmon spawning grounds where coastal bears derive much of their nutrients. This study will investigate changes in brown bear abundance along Brooks River over time, and investigate how factors such as variable salmon runs and increased park visitation may play a role in changing the carrying capacity for bears on the landscape. Understanding changes in brown bear abundance can help not only preserve bear viewing and wilderness experiences for future generations, but can also help preserve a healthy and successful salmon fishing industry. 
M.S. Student: Leslie Skora. Funding provided by the Boone and Crockett Endowment at Michigan State University and in-kind support from the National Park Service. 

Potential Wolf Expansion into the Northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan: Impacts on Cervid Ecology and Local Economies

​The recovery of gray wolves in the Great Lakes region has led to an established population in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Documented sightings of wolves in the Northern Lower Peninsula (NLP) of Michigan have highlighted the possibility of continued expansion across the state. The NLP features a sizable population of white-tailed deer as well as a population of elk, which are both considered valuable state resources. Thus, the appearance of wolves may not only impact wild cervid populations but also affect local economies. We will investigate potential impacts of wolf expansion into the NLP. The project will integrate ecological and economic models to better inform wildlife policy. 
Ph.D. Candidate: Nick Jaffe. ​Funding provided by the Boone and Crockett Endowment at Michigan State University.